The Kilauea volcano has spewed fountains of lava into residential areas on Hawaii's Big Island, forcing hundreds of people, including many retirees, to evacuate their homes.
The volcano, one of five on the island, began erupting on Thursday after a series of earthquakes over the past week, the US Geological Survey reported on its website.
Starting around 11 am on Friday, the island experienced a flurry of earthquakes, the largest registering magnitude 5.8.
Residents in Leilani Estates and Lanipuna Gardens subdivisions, home to about 1,700 people, were ordered to evacuate after public works officials reported steam and lava burbling up from cracks in the road, the county's Civil Defence said.
No injuries or deaths were reported.
"There are lava tubes on our property," said Dale Miller, 58, a Leilani Estates resident, referring to the natural tunnels underground that drain lava during an eruption.
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